GREG OATES

SVP, INNOVATION

Greg Oates is SVP of Innovation at MMGY NextFactor. He leads the development of destination master plans, destination development plans, and other strategic planning projects for DMO/CVBs of all sizes and budgets. During the last 20 years, he has worked with hundreds of organizations in the global visitor economy in North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific on both destination development and marketing strategy. He has also produced strategic plans for hospitality companies ranging from Marriott to Airbnb, and he is the lead developer of Destination International’s industry-leading, bi-annual DestinationNEXT Futures Study and strategic framework.

Greg’s primary focus is aligning tourism, community, urban and economic development initiatives to improve overall destination performance, empower transformational community building, and strengthen social equity and environmental stewardship. Presently, he collaborates with the public, private and civic sectors to develop strategies to address some of the visitor industry’s most significant challenges. Specifically, those include sustainable destination development, equitable workforce development and housing, small business development, and government and community advocacy. 

Prior to joining MMGY NextFactor in 2018, Greg led tourism research and tourism brand partnership development at Skift, which is widely considered a global thought leader in defining the future of travel. Greg continues to speak regularly at industry events about destination trends and digital innovation.